These little essays were pleasant, but not very deep and a bit uneven. Still, at its best moments, you feel lovely escapism into the garden and the auThese little essays were pleasant, but not very deep and a bit uneven. Still, at its best moments, you feel lovely escapism into the garden and the author's personality and humor comes through....more
3.5 stars. This is a decidedly odd but interesting little memoir, written by a philosopher and woman facing her own death. It's beautifully written. A3.5 stars. This is a decidedly odd but interesting little memoir, written by a philosopher and woman facing her own death. It's beautifully written. At times, I wasn't sure what the point was, but it was always interesting to read. And it is lovely and vulnerable and really smart, which is a rare combination. I probably won't go out of my way to recommend this to people because it's quite disjointed, but I am glad I read it....more
This is a delightful and funny compilation of very serious philosophical ideas! I really enjoyed Klein's quotes and anecdotes about different schools This is a delightful and funny compilation of very serious philosophical ideas! I really enjoyed Klein's quotes and anecdotes about different schools of philosophical thought. His writing voice is utterly charming and enjoyable, so you almost forget that you are actually learning quite a lot and having quite deep thoughts! The little essays reminded me of Montaigne, which is very high praise indeed!! Like Montaigne, Klein is self-aware, self-deprecating, and deeply thoughtful, but also quite funny. I wish there were more books like this!
Highly recommended for dabblers in philosophy or anyone angsting over the meaning of life (is that everyone? probably not, but you know who you are!). ...more
I am wavering between two and three stars on this one. The author does discuss quite a few books that sound very promising and interesting, and the boI am wavering between two and three stars on this one. The author does discuss quite a few books that sound very promising and interesting, and the book was interesting enough to keep me turning pages, but I don't expect to remember much about this book in a year. It does has some very lovely and touching moments, but overall, it felt gimmicky and self-indulgent. While I have been known to enjoy some "stunt non-fiction," where the author commits to do something and then writes about it, this fell short for me. ...more
Unlike some others, I definitely enjoy Gertrude Stein's writing style, which is bare, modern, and minimal in terms of punctuation. It reads like heariUnlike some others, I definitely enjoy Gertrude Stein's writing style, which is bare, modern, and minimal in terms of punctuation. It reads like hearing someone speak, or a stream of consciousness diary. It took some getting used to but I really grew to enjoy it after a while.
This little memoir/autobiography had many interesting moments - Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas lead an interesting life in Paris before and after WWI. But overall, the constant name-dropping just bored me. The stories of modern artists in Paris seemed high on gossip and low on real substance. I never felt engrossed by this book or sucked into the narrative; it made good bedtime reading because it was so NOT engrossing.
This book is interesting in many ways, on the cutting edge for its time in terms of style, but ultimately it never really drew me in. ...more
This audiobook, read by the author (who just KILLS it with the voices, the "small print," everything) was a really enjoyable way to spend my commutes!This audiobook, read by the author (who just KILLS it with the voices, the "small print," everything) was a really enjoyable way to spend my commutes! I don't know why I don't listen to more humorous novels. Tina Fey is awesome, hilarious, on-point about sexism, and super smart. Now I have to go rewatch all of my favorite SNL skits! ...more
I really wanted to enjoy this memoir, since I want to learn more about what it's like to be on the autism spectrum from the perspective of people withI really wanted to enjoy this memoir, since I want to learn more about what it's like to be on the autism spectrum from the perspective of people with the diagnosis. And there were certainly parts of it that were fun and enjoyable and I made it all the way through. There were parts that sparkled with great description too. But then a lot of it felt annoying or like a slog. His dysfunctional family is downright painful to read about (although also quite colorful), and I just wanted that segment to end. I feel a little bad saying so, but I found aspects of his later life (working with KISS, for example) to be sort of uninteresting?! But I really enjoyed his descriptions of fatherhood and his final reconciliation with his dad - I think that's the best part of the book - and I am curious about his second memoir, which is more specifically about raising his son, also on the spectrum. This book did not blow me away or have a huge impact, but it did not waste my time by any means. ...more
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